{{Short description|Copper bismuth arsenate mineral}} {{Infobox mineral | name = Mixite | image = Mixite-215142.jpg | alt = | caption = Turquoise-blue mixite, Laurium, Greece. Size: 6.8 x 5.0 x 3.6 cm. | category = Arsenate mineral | formula = BiCu<sub>6</sub>(AsO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>3</sub>(OH)<sub>6</sub>·3(H<sub>2</sub>O) | IMAsymbol = Mix<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Warr|first=L.N.|date=2021|title=IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols|journal=Mineralogical Magazine|volume=85|issue=3|pages=291–320|doi=10.1180/mgm.2021.43|bibcode=2021MinM...85..291W|s2cid=235729616|doi-access=free}}</ref> | molweight = | strunz = 8.DL.15 | dana = | system = Hexagonal | class = Dipyramidal (6/m) <br/><small>(same H-M symbol)</small> | symmetry = ''P6''<sub>3</sub>/m | unit cell = a = 13.646(2) Å, <br/>c = 5.920(1) Å; Z = 2 | color = Blue to emerald-green, pale green, white | habit = Acicular crystals often in radial clusters | twinning = | cleavage = | fracture = Uneven | tenacity = | mohs = 3–4 | luster = Vitreous | streak = Pale green | diaphaneity = Transparent to translucent | gravity = 3.79–3.83 | density = | polish = | opticalprop = Uniaxial (+) | refractive = n<sub>ω</sub> = 1.743 – 1.749 n<sub>ε</sub> = 1.810 – 1.830 | birefringence = δ = 0.067 | pleochroism = O = colorless, E = bright green | 2V = | dispersion = | extinction = | length fast/slow = | fluorescence = | absorption = | melt = | fusibility = | diagnostic = | solubility = | impurities = | alteration = | other = | prop1 = | prop1text = | references = <ref name=HBM>[http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/mixite.pdf Mineral data publishing PDF]</ref><ref name=Mindat>[http://www.mindat.org/min-2730.html Mindat data with locations]</ref><ref name=Webmin>[http://webmineral.com/data/Mixite.shtml Webmineral data]</ref> }}
'''Mixite''' is a rare copper bismuth arsenate mineral with formula: BiCu<sub>6</sub>(AsO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>3</sub>(OH)<sub>6</sub>·3(H<sub>2</sub>O). It crystallizes in the hexagonal crystal system typically occurring as radiating acicular prisms and massive encrustations. The color varies from white to various shades of green and blue. It has a Mohs hardness of 3.5 to 4 and a specific gravity of 3.8. It has an uneven fracture and a brilliant to adamantine luster.
It occurs as a secondary mineral in the oxidized zones of copper deposits. Associated minerals include: bismutite, smaltite, native bismuth, atelestite, erythrite, malachite and barite.<ref name=HBM/>
It was discovered in 1879 near J´achymov, Czech Republic by mine engineer Anton Mixa.<ref>Schrauf A (1880) Ueber Arsenate von Joachimsthal. 1. Mixit, ein neues Kupferwismuthhydroarsenat, ''Zeitschrift für Krystallographie und Mineralogie'' (in German) 4, 277–285</ref> Mixite has also been found in Argentina,<ref>Lapis 8(4), 25 (1983).</ref> Australia,<ref>Kolitsch, U. and Elliott, P. (1999): Mineralogy of the Mount Malvern Mine near Clarendon, South Australia. Australian J. Mineral. 5, 3–17.</ref> Austria,<ref>G. Blass, A. Pichler: Carinthia II 191./111.: 43–55 (2001); Kolitsch,</ref> France,<ref>Wittern, Journée: "Mineralien finden in den Vogesen", von Loga (Cologne), 1997.</ref> Germany,<ref>Aufschluss 1986(11), 370ff.</ref> Greece,<ref>Voudouris, P. & Economou-Eliopoulus, M. (2003): Mineralogy and chemistry of Cu-rich ores from the Kamariza carbonate-hosted deposit (Lavrion), Greece. In: Eliopoulos et al. (Eds.): Mineral Exploration and Sustainable Development. Millpress, Rotterdam, 1039–1042.</ref> Hungary,<ref>Geoda 2012/I.</ref> Italy,<ref>Piccoli, G.C. (2002): Minerali delle Alpi Marittime e Cozie. Provincia di Cuneo. Amici del Museo "F. Eusebio", Ed., Alba, 366 pp.; Piccoli, G. C., Maletto, G., Bosio, P., & Lombardo, B. (2007). Minerali del Piemonte e della Valle d'Aosta. Associazione Amici del Museo F. Eusebio – Alba, 607 pag.</ref> Japan,<ref>Matsubara et al (1992) Ganseki-Koubutsu-Koshogaku Zasshi, 87, 147–148.</ref> Mexico,<ref>Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837–1892, Volume II: 944.</ref> Namibia,<ref>Gebhard, G. (1999): Tsumeb II. A Unique Mineral Locality. GG Publishing, Grossenseifen, Germany</ref> Poland,<ref>Domańska, J.: Rędziny. Otoczak, nr. 29, p. 38-52.</ref> Spain,<ref>VIÑALS, J., CALVO, M., and MARTÍ, J. (2004): Parnauita, paratacamita y otros minerales secundarios de Cerro Minado, Almería. Revista de Minerales, 2, 5, 47–49.(in Spanish). Versions simultaneously published in Catalan (Mineralogistes de Catalunya) and in English version (Mineral Up)</ref> Switzerland,<ref>Ansermet, S. (2012): Mines et minéraux du Valais – II. Anniviers et Tourtemagne. With contributions by N. Meisser, Ed. Porte-plumes (Ayer).</ref> the United Kingdom,<ref>Golley, P., and Williams, R. (1995): Cornish Mineral Reference Manual. Endsleigh Publications (Truro), 104 pp.</ref> and the United States.<ref>Grant, Raymond W., Bideaux, R.A., and Williams, S.A. (2006) Minerals Added to the Arizona List 1995–2005: 6.</ref>
Mixite is the namesake member of the mixite mineral group, which has the general chemical formula Cu<sup>2+</sup><sub>6</sub>''A''(''T''O<sub>4</sub>)<sub>3</sub>(OH)<sub>6</sub>·3H<sub>2</sub>O, where ''A'' is a REE, Al, Ca, Pb, or Bi, and ''T'' is P or As. In addition to mixite, this mineral group contains the isostructural minerals agardite-(Y),<ref>Dietrich J E, Orliac M, Permingeat F (1969) L’agardite, une nouvelle espèce minérale, et le problème du chlorotile, Bulletin de la Société Française de Minéralogie et de Cristallographie 92, 420–434</ref><ref name="Nickel E H 1987">Nickel E H, Mandarino J A (1987) Procedures involving the IMA Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names and guidelines on mineral nomenclature, American Mineralogist 72, 1031–1042</ref> agardite-(Ce),<ref>Walenta K, Theye T (2004) Agardite-(Ce) of the Clara mine in the central Black Forest, Aufschluss 55, 17–23</ref> agardite-(Nd),<ref>Pekov I V, Chukanov N V, Zadov A E, Voudouris P, Magganas A, Katerinopoulos A (2011) Agardite-(Nd), NdCu6(AsO4)3(OH)6·3H2O, from the Hilarion Mine, Lavrion, Greece: mineral description and chemical relations with other members of the agardite-zálesíite solid-solution system, Journal of Geosciences 57, 249–255</ref> agardite-(La),<ref>Fehr T, Hochleitner R (1984) Agardite-La. Ein neues mineral von Lavrion, Griechenland, Lapis 9, 22–37</ref> calciopetersite,<ref>Sejkora J, Novotný P, Novák M, Šrein V, Berlepsch P (2005) Calciopetersite from Domašov nad Bystricí, Northern Moravia, Czech Republic, a new mineral species of the mixite group, The Canadian Mineralogist 43, 1393–1400</ref> goudeyite,<ref>Wise W S (1978) Parnauite and goudeyite, two new copper arsenate minerals from the Majuba Hill Mine, Pershing County, Nevada, American Mineralogist 63, 704–708</ref> petersite-(Ce),<ref>Williams P A, Hatert F, Pasero M, Mills S J (2014) IMA Commission on new minerals, nomenclature and classification (CNMNC) Newsletter 20. New minerals and nomenclature modifications approved in 2014. Mineralogical Magazine 78, 549–558</ref> petersite-(Y),<ref name="Nickel E H 1987"/><ref>Peacor D R, Dunn P J (1982) Petersite, a REE and phosphate analog of mixite, American Mineralogist 67, 1039–1042</ref> plumboagardite,<ref>Walenta K, Theye T (2005) Plumboagardite, a new mineral of the mixite group from an occurrence in the Southern Black Forest, Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Abhandlungen 181, 219–224</ref> and zálesíite.<ref>Sejkora J, Rídkošil T, Šrein V (1999) Zálesíite, a new mineral of the mixite group, from Zálesí, Rychlebské hory Mts., Czech Republic, Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Abhandlungen 175, 105–124.</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}} *[http://rruff.info RRUFF Project]
==Further reading== *Downes, P. J., Hope, M., Bevan, A. W. R. and Henry, D. A. (2006): Chalcocite and associated secondary minerals from the Telfer gold mine, Western Australia. Austral. J. Mineral. 12, 25–42. *U., Blaß, G. & Auer, C. (2010): 1618) Bleihaltiger Agardit-(La) und Brookit von der Äußeren Wimitz, St. Veit an der Glan, Gurktaler *Alpen. P. 203 in Niedermayr et al. (2010): Neue Mineralfunde aus Österreich LIX. Carinthia II, 200./120., 199–260. *Petr Pauliš (2000): Nejzajímavější mineralogická naleziště Čech. *Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837–1892, Volume II: 944; Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Monatshefte (1991), 487. *Lapis 2002(7/8), 54. *Sejkora, J., Gabasova, A., Novotna, M. (1997): Mixite from Smrkovec near Marianské Lazné. Bulletin Mineralogicko-Petrologického Oddělení Národního Muzea (Praha), 4–5, 185–187. *Sejkora, J.: Minerály ložiska Moldava v Krušných horách. Bulletin Mineralogicko-petrografického oddělení Národního muzea v Praze, 1994, volume. 2, s. 110–116. *Lapis 23(4), 18–34 (1998). *Jiří Sejkora, Petr Pauliš, Radana Malíková, Miroslav Zeman & Václav Krtek (2013): Supergenní minerály As ze štoly č. 2 Preisselberg, rudní revír Krupka (Česká republika) [Supergene As minerals from the Gallery No. 2, Preisselberg, the Krupka ore district (Czech Republic)]. Bulletin Mineralogicko-Petrologického Oddělení Národního Muzea (Praha) 21, 201–209. *Kuttna, Kutná Hora; Sejkora, J., Ondruš, P., Fikar, M., Veselovský, F., Mach, Z., Gabašová, A., Skoda, R. & Beran, P. (2006): Supergene minerals at the Huber stock and Schnöd stock deposits, Krásno ore District, the Slavkovský les area, Czech Republic. Journal of the Czech Geological Society 51, 57–101. *J.-L. Hohl: "Minéraux et Mines du Massif Vosgien", Editions du Rhin (Mulhouse), 1994. *R.PIERROT, L. CHAURIS, C. LAFORET (1973) : "Inventaire minéralogique de la France : 29- Finistère.", B.R.G.M. Paris. *Le Cahier des Micromonteurs, Bulletin de l'Association Française de Microminéralogie, 1985, N° 3, pp. 3–6. *Le Règne Minéral 1997, 13, p. 5–18. *Dubru. M, (1986) Pétrologie et géochimie du marbre à brucite et des borates associés au gisement de tungstène de Costabonne, (Pyrénées orientales, France) 930p. *J.C. Escande, Z. Johan, J. Lougnon, P. Picot, F. Pillard : "Note sur la présence de minéraux de bismuth dans un filon de barytine et fluorine à Faymont, près Le Val-d'Ajol (Vosges)", Bull. Soc. Fr. Minéral. Cristallogr., 1973, 96, 398–399. *Georges Favreau – Favreau G., Eytier J-R., Eytier C. (2010), Les minéraux de la mine de Falgayrolles (Aveyron), Le Cahier des Micromonteurs, n°109 *Inventaire Minéralogique de la France N°7, p127-128. *[UKJMM 2:11–15 "Cap Garonne Secondary Copper and Lead – W.R. van den Berg"] *K. Walenta: "Die Mineralien des Schwarzwaldes", Weise (Munich), 1992. *Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837–1892, Volume II: 944. *Wittern, A. (1995) Mineralien finden im Schwarzwald. *Wittern: "Mineralfundorte in Deutschland", 2001. *Schrenk, D. (2000): Die Minerale des Steinbruchs 'Blessing' bei Hornberg. Erzgräber, 14 (1), 10–17. *Lapis, 18 (2), 13–24. *S. Weiss: "Mineralfundstellen, Deutschland West", Weise (Munich), 1990. *Belendorff, K & Petitjean, K. (1987): Reichenbach im Odenwald. Die Mineralien von Fundpunkt 16.1. bei Reichenbach. LAPIS 12 (10), 23–32 + 58. *J. Gröbner und U. Kolitsch (2006): Neufunde aus dem Erzgebirge (II). Mineralien-Welt 17 (3), 22–27. *Frenzel, A. (1874): Mineralogisches Lexicon für das Königreich Sachsen. *Gröbner, J. and Kolitsch, U. (2007): The minerals of the uranium prospect at Tirpersdorf, Vogtland. Lapis 32, 37–42; 58. *Matthies, A. (2009): Mechelgrün im Sächsischen Vogtland: Uranmineralien als Haldenfunde. Lapis 34 (3), 41–43. *T. Witzke et al.: Lapis 2001(12), 13–27. *Jansa, J., Novák, F., Pauliš, P., Scharmová, M.: Supergenní minerály Sn-W ložiska Cínovec v Krušných horách (Česká republika). Bulletin mineralogicko-petrografického oddělení Národního muzea v Praze, 1998, roč. 6, s. 83–101. *Sejkora, J., Škoda, R., Škácha, P., Bureš, B. & Dvořák, Z. (2009): Nové mineralogické nálezy na Sn-W ložisku Cínovec v Krušných horách (Česká republika). Bulletin mineralogicko-petrologického oddělení Národního muzea v Praze 17 (2), 23–30. *Solomos, C., Voudouris, P. & Katerinopoulos, A. (2004): Mineralogical studies of bismuth-gold-antimony mineralization at the area of Kamariza, Lavrion. Bulletin of the Geological Society of Greece 34, Proceedings of the 10th International Congress, Thessaloniki, Greece, 387–396. *Heymann, J. (1982): Al-Adamin. LAPIS 7 (3), 26–28. *Lapis, 24, 7/8 (1999). *Boscardin M., Gaetani E., Mattioli V. (1994)-Olivenite ed altre novità di Punta Corna, Valle di Viù, Piemonte-Rivista Mineralogica Italiana, Milano-Fasc. 2, pp 113–121. *Ciriotti, M.E., Blaß, G. (2010): Pot-pourri 2009: Identificazioni UKiS AMI, Minerali italiani di interesse. Micro, 1/2010, 124–127. *Vecchi, F., Rocchetti, I. & Gentile, P. (2013): Die Mineralien des Granits von Predazzo, Provinz Trient, Italien. Mineralien-Welt, 24(6), 98–117. *Orlandi, P. & Criscuolo, A. (2009). Minerali del marmo delle Alpi Apuane. Pacini editore, Pisa, 180 pp. *Panczner(1987).
{{Commons category}}
Category:Arsenate minerals Category:Bismuth minerals Category:Copper(II) minerals Category:Hexagonal minerals Category:Minerals in space group 176